1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a sewing machine, a method for identifying an embroidery frame and a program.
2. Description of the Related Art
In some sewing machines capable of being operated in a normal sewing mode and an embroidery sewing mode, an embroidery frame driving device is attached to the sewing machine for sewing an embroidery in the embroidery sewing mode. In this kind of sewing machine, an embroidery frame holding a workpiece cloth to be sewn is attached to a carriage of the embroidery frame driving device, and the embroidery pattern can be sewn on the workpiece cloth based on an embroidery data corresponding to a preliminarily selected embroidery pattern while moving the embroidery frame in an X direction and a Y direction. As described above, a plurality kinds of embroidery frames used for sewing the embroidery is preliminarily prepared according to the size and shape of the embroidery pattern to be sewn.
When an operator attaches an embroidery frame most suitable for the size of the desired pattern to be sewn to the carriage, the sewing machine, which is capable of sewing embroidery, detects the kind of the embroidery frame attached to the carriage to check whether or not the embroidery frame having an embroidery area smaller than the size of the embroidery pattern is incorrectly attached by the operator.
For example, as a method of detecting the kind of the embroidery frame, it is disclosed that an embroidery frame transfer device having an embroidery frame, a carriage capable of attaching and detaching the embroidery frame, and a transfer mechanism for transferring the carriage to two orthogonal directions independently, wherein a movable member is provided on the carriage so as to be switched between a detection position and a retreat position, a detection switch is provided on the movable member so as to detect a detection part of the embroidery frame, and the detection part is detected by the detection switch only when the movable member is switched to the detection position (e.g. shown in Patent document 1).
In addition, it is disclosed that a carriage capable of attaching and detaching an embroidery frame holding a workpiece cloth and an embroidery frame driving mechanism for driving the carriage to orthogonal X and Y directions independently are provided, and an imaging means for photographing an embroidery frame and outputting the image data and a calculation means for calculating a size of the embroidery frame in at least the X and Y directions based on the image data of the embroidery frame are further provided (e.g. shown in Patent document 2).
Furthermore, it is disclosed that a position of the front portion of an embroidery frame is detected when the embroidery frame attached to an embroidery machine is driven to the X-axis positive direction, a tiltable lever is in contact with the front part of the embroidery frame, the tiltable lever is tilted, and a central electrode is in contact with a front electrode. Similarly, a position of the embroidery frame is detected when the rear portion of the embroidery frame is driven to the X-axis negative direction and the tiltable lever is in contact with the rear portion of the embroidery frame. The detected positions of front portion and the rear portion of the embroidery frame are stored in an RAM, and the size of the embroidery frame is further calculated based on these positions to identify the kind of the embroidery frame (e.g. shown in Patent document 3).    [Patent document 1] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2002-52283    [Patent document 2] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2007-252616    [Patent document 3] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. H06-319880